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Abstract
We examined the predictors of general union attitudes in a sample of 84 high school and 42 first year university students (M age = 17 years) who were employed part-time. In addition to two aspects of family socialization towards unions (parents' perceived union attitudes and parents' perceived union activities), we also assessed students' job quality and satisfaction with both co-workers and supervisors as predictors of their own general union attitudes. Only respondents' perception of their parents' general union attitudes was significantly associated with their own general union attitudes. Neither job quality, nor supervisory or co-worker satisfaction were associated with respondents' union attitudes.
As private-sector trade union membership numbers decline in many industrialized countries, there is increasing interest in identifying the factors that shape the union attitudes and membership decisions of young adult workers. Research has shown that, in addition to simple opportunity (union coverage of the workplace), individual propensity towards joining the union, and workplace norms concerning unions, are important factors associated with union membership patterns of young adult workers (Cregan & Johnston, 1990; Hartley, 1992; Spilsbury, Hoskins, Ashton & Maguire, 1987). At the same time, ratification votes are typically decided by a relatively small margin, emphasizing the importance of individual voting decisions (Barling, Fullagar & Kelloway, 1992; Hepburn, Loughlin, & Barling, in press). A critical component of the propensity to join labour unions in adults is the individual's general attitude towards labour unions. These attitudes act as a "gatekeeper" in influencing the direction of the voting decision even after individual union instrumentality has been considered (Brett, 1980). The present study focusses on the correlates of general union attitudes in student part-time workers.
The propensity to vote for a union, or to join a union, is the outcome of several prior influences. In adult workers, these factors include cultural and/or peer attitudes, family socialization, and prior work experiences. Recent research has investigated family socialization as a source of union attitudes in pre-employed students. Based on social learning theory (Bandura, 1977), Barling, Kelloway and Bremermann (1991) proposed that family socialization would influence the development of union attitudes. Some support for this hypothesis has emerged: Pre-employed high school and university students' perception of their parents' union attitudes was the single largest predictor of their own general...